Angola: The Angolan government has banned the importation of cement as of 1 January 2015, saying that there is adequate local production to meet national demand.

"Due to the investments made by various companies, the installed cement production capacity in Angola is 8Mt/yr. Demand is around 6.5Mt/yr," said Minister Waldemar Alexandre Pires. He added that the ban was imposed after consultation with the country's Cement Sector Commission, coordinated by the Ministry of Construction and the Ministries of Trade, Industry and the Economy.

The Angola cement market has enjoyed four years of double-digit growth on the back of the country's economic recovery. This follows the end of a 30-year civil war in 2002. The short-term outlook is positive, with continued market growth and capacity building, encouraging more players to venture into the burgeoning market. The majority of domestic cement consumption is located in the more densely populated western provinces. So far the government claims to have spent over US$1bn on reconstruction since the end of the war.

A resumption of construction activities in and around the capital of Luanda, where the government has pushed ahead with a range of new construction projects including a number of much-needed housing schemes for the city's expanding population, has been the main drivers of the cement consumption in the southern African nation.